What is the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates?
Animals can be vertebrates or invertebrates.
What are vertebrates?
Vertebrates are animals with a backbone, for example, elephants.
What are invertebrates?
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone, for example, jellyfish.
Why do some animals have backbones?
The backbone is a long vertebral column that encloses and protects the spinal cord. It is part of the well-developed internal skeleton in vertebrates. The backbone is long and flexible; it extends from the neck all the way to the tail in some animals.
As vertebrates have a developed nervous system, they react quickly to changes in their surroundings. The backbone provides support for the body and allows the body to move. Vertebrates are usually bigger and faster than invertebrates.
Why don’t some animals have backbones?
Invertebrates don’t have backbones. Some animals don’t require a backbone because they already have simple nervous systems and behave mainly by instinct. Not having a backbone can pose some advantages, such as carrying less weight, requiring less energy to function, and being able to fit into smaller spaces.
Invertebrates are usually smaller and slower than vertebrates.
How do we classify animals?
Animals can either be vertebrates or invertebrates. Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone. Invertebrates are animals that don’t have a backbone.
There are five groups of vertebrates:
- Mammals
- Birds
- Reptiles
- Amphibians
- Fish
Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that have body hair or fur. Mammals have well-developed brains and they use their lungs to breathe. A female gives birth to a live mammal and mammals drink milk from their mothers. Young mammals rely on their parents for survival. A mammal’s internal body temperature is usually stable; therefore, they are warm-blooded animals. Humans are mammals as well as other warm-blooded vertebrate animals. Mammals are very diverse as they exist in many shapes and sizes. They also live in many different places, some mammals live on land, in water, or below the ground.
A lion is a mammal.
A camel is a mammal.
Did you know that bats are the only mammals that can fly?
What is the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates?
Animals can be vertebrates or invertebrates.
What are vertebrates?
Vertebrates are animals with a backbone, for example, elephants.
What are invertebrates?
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone, for example, jellyfish.
Why do some animals have backbones?
The backbone is a long vertebral column that encloses and protects the spinal cord. It is part of the well-developed internal skeleton in vertebrates. The backbone is long and flexible; it extends from the neck all the way to the tail in some animals.
As vertebrates have a developed nervous system, they react quickly to changes in their surroundings. The backbone provides support for the body and allows the body to move. Vertebrates are usually bigger and faster than invertebrates.
Why don’t some animals have backbones?
Invertebrates don’t have backbones. Some animals don’t require a backbone because they already have simple nervous systems and behave mainly by instinct. Not having a backbone can pose some advantages, such as carrying less weight, requiring less energy to function, and being able to fit into smaller spaces.
Invertebrates are usually smaller and slower than vertebrates.
How do we classify animals?
Animals can either be vertebrates or invertebrates. Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone. Invertebrates are animals that don’t have a backbone.
There are five groups of vertebrates:
- Mammals
- Birds
- Reptiles
- Amphibians
- Fish
Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that have body hair or fur. Mammals have well-developed brains and they use their lungs to breathe. A female gives birth to a live mammal and mammals drink milk from their mothers. Young mammals rely on their parents for survival. A mammal’s internal body temperature is usually stable; therefore, they are warm-blooded animals. Humans are mammals as well as other warm-blooded vertebrate animals. Mammals are very diverse as they exist in many shapes and sizes. They also live in many different places, some mammals live on land, in water, or below the ground.
A lion is a mammal.
A camel is a mammal.
Birds are vertebrate animals that are adapted for flight. The anatomy of birds reflects their ability to fly as they have strong wings and feathers. They also have a beak to help them grab and swallow food. There are many types of birds, some of which jump, run, swim, and dive. Birds are characterised by their wings but some have lost the ability to fly, for example, penguins. Birds have feathers and they use their lungs to breathe. Birds lay eggs and their internal body temperature is usually stable; therefore, they are warm-blooded animals.
An eagle is a bird.
Birds are vertebrate animals that are adapted for flight. The anatomy of birds reflects their ability to fly as they have strong wings and feathers. They also have a beak to help them grab and swallow food. There are many types of birds, some of which jump, run, swim, and dive. Birds are characterised by their wings but some have lost the ability to fly, for example, penguins. Birds have feathers and they use their lungs to breathe. Birds lay eggs and their internal body temperature is usually stable; therefore, they are warm-blooded animals.
An eagle is a bird.
Reptiles are vertebrates that are characterised by their scaly skin. Reptiles use their lungs to breathe. Reptiles usually lay eggs in a nest, however, two exceptions are pythons and boas give birth to live young. Their internal body temperature changes; therefore, they are cold-blooded animals. This is because they don’t have any insulation such as feathers or sweat glands in hot weather, and in cold weather they usually become inactive.
A crocodile is a reptile.
A turtle is a reptile.
Reptiles are vertebrates that are characterised by their scaly skin. Reptiles use their lungs to breathe. Reptiles usually lay eggs in a nest, however, two exceptions are pythons and boas give birth to live young. Their internal body temperature changes; therefore, they are cold-blooded animals. This is because they don’t have any insulation such as feathers or sweat glands in hot weather, and in cold weather they usually become inactive.
A crocodile is a reptile.
A turtle is a reptile.
Amphibians are vertebrates that have damp skin. A special property of their skin is that it has skin glands that produce useful proteins, some transport water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide into or out of the animals. Some of the proteins produced even fight bacterial or fungal infections. Amphibians require water, or a moist environment in order to survive. Amphibians lay soft eggs in water and their internal body temperature changes; therefore, they are cold-blooded animals. Amphibians can breathe using their gills, through their thin skin, or using their lungs.
A frog is an amphibian.
Amphibians are vertebrates that have damp skin. A special property of their skin is that it has skin glands that produce useful proteins, some transport water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide into or out of the animals. Some of the proteins produced even fight bacterial or fungal infections. Amphibians require water, or a moist environment in order to survive. Amphibians lay soft eggs in water and their internal body temperature changes; therefore, they are cold-blooded animals. Amphibians can breathe using their gills, through their thin skin, or using their lungs.
A frog is an amphibian.
Fish are vertebrates that live in the water, these can be in lakes, rivers, ponds, seas, and oceans. They have scaly skin which allows them to swim with ease. Fish use gills located on the sides of their bodies to breathe. Fish lay soft eggs in water and their internal body temperature changes; therefore, they are cold-blooded animals. However, there is an exception to this, tuna, mackerel, and opah fish are all warm-blooded. Fish exist in many shapes, sizes, and colours. The largest fish on the planet is a whale shark!
A goldfish is a fish.
Did you know that a whale shark is the largest fish on the planet?
Fish are vertebrates that live in the water, these can be in lakes, rivers, ponds, seas, and oceans. They have scaly skin which allows them to swim with ease. Fish use gills located on the sides of their bodies to breathe. Fish lay soft eggs in water and their internal body temperature changes; therefore, they are cold-blooded animals. However, there is an exception to this, tuna, mackerel, and opah fish are all warm-blooded. Fish exist in many shapes, sizes, and colours. The largest fish on the planet is a whale shark!
A goldfish is a fish.
Did you know that a whale shark is the largest fish on the planet?
There are different types of invertebrates. We can put these into groups depending on their common features, for example, invertebrates with six legs, more than six legs, and without legs. Invertebrates without legs can be further classified into worm-like or not worm-like.
There are six groups of invertebrates:
- Mollusks
- Arthropods
- Worms
- Cnidarians
- Echinoderms
- Sponges
Mollusks live in marine environments, and they exist in many different shapes and sizes, for example, some have shells for protection and others don’t.
Snails, squid, and oysters are examples of mollusks.
Arthropods live on land, there are many different types of arthropods. Arthropods can have different numbers of jointed legs, some have six, some have eight, some have ten, and others have more than ten jointed legs. Arthropods also have an exoskeleton.
Ants, spiders, crabs, and millipedes are examples of arthropods.
Worms have long soft bodies and moist skin.
Cnidarians are also known as the jellyfish group. These are marine animals that usually have tentacles with stinging cells. They use these to capture food.
Jellyfish and polyps are examples of cnidarians.
Echinoderms are marine animals. They have a star-like shape consisting of a hard, spiny covering or skin.
Starfish is an example of an echinoderm.
Sponges are also known as peripherals. These invertebrates are found in deep water; they have pores and can’t swim.
